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Sunday, June 23, 2013

Can you believe it's the last week of June already? This week will be busy, filled with preparations for me and the kids to go visit my parents in West Virginia next week. While we're gone, hubby has some painting and other minor home improvement projects to work on. I'm going to cook ahead a few items so he'll have some meals to reheat. If I didn't do that, he'd live on cereal and PB&J while I'm gone!

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Last week we survived Vacation Bible School. It was such a huge blessing to teach these children about the truth of God's Word and how it can help them through their lives. It was well worth the hurried dinners and messy kitchen every evening!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Pasta salad is a classic summertime dish. I can't remember a family reunion during my childhood that didn't include pasta salad as one of the potluck offerings. This particular recipe is my favorite, passed on to me by my Aunt Joyce. It's so wonderful, my husband begs for it, even when it's not summertime!

This recipe allows for a great deal of tweaking. You can use whatever fresh veggies you have on hand. I've included my family's favorites - tomatoes, cucumber and broccoli. But you can substitute or add onions, green peppers, olives, whatever floats your boat.

But whatever you do, DO NOT skip the Salad Supreme. That seasoning blend takes this pasta salad completely over the top! I guess you could say it's the secret ingredient that makes the dish. Trust me on this one.

Cook the pasta al dente. You don't want it mushy because it will absorb the salad dressing and get mushier. Here's how I do it. I bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. I add the pasta and return the water to a boil, making sure all the pasta is covered with water.Then I turn the burner off and cover the pot. After 10 minutes, I check to see if the pasta is tender and give it a stir. If it's not al dente, I leave it in the pot for another 5 minutes but no longer.

When the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it in a large colander and rinse with cool water. This stops the pasta from cooking any further. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the pasta and veggies. Stir in about half the bottle of salad dressing and 1 TBSP of the Salad Supreme. If the pasta appears too dry, add a little more dressing. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least four hours. Overnight is even better.

Before serving, add the cheese cubes. Pour on some more dressing, if needed. I always need more, but I rarely use the entire bottle. Sprinkle on more Salad Supreme, about half a tablespoon. Taste and see if you need to add any more.

This pasta salad will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. You might have to add a little more dressing if it becomes too dry. I rarely have to do this because my husband eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it's gone!

Sunday, June 9, 2013

We're gearing up for a week of Vacation Bible School, so this week's menu is full of easy faves. I'm using my crockpot a couple of times and pulling some stuff from the freezer to make things a little easier. And hopefully less hectic.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Summer time heat is here and one of my favorite ways to cool off is to drink a nice, tall glass of ice-cold lemonade. The best lemonade is homemade, in my opinion. Forget the powdered drink mixes or premade drinks from the store. You really only need three ingredients - lemon juice, sugar and water.

Here's my favorite recipe:

2 cups lemon juice - you can use fresh lemons or lemon juice concentrate, I usually use about half of each
1 cup sugar
9 cups water

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with one cup of the water. Stir over medium heat until all the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

When the sugar mixture has cooled, pour it into a pitcher. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining water. Taste for tartness. Add more sugar if you want a little extra sweetness or more lemon juice if it's too sweet. Chill until ready to serve.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Summer has come to the Deep South, complete with humidity and sudden thunderstorms. Not to mention higher temperatures. I'm trying to limit my baking times and use the stovetop, crockpot and grill instead of the oven.